


Nothing But A Storm In A Teacup

by fluidadoration



Category: Mamamoo, 방탄소년단 | Bangtan Boys | BTS
Genre: Age Swap, Alpha Jeon Jungkook, Alpha Min Yoongi | Suga, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Modern with Magic, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Alternate Universe - Werewolf, Angst and Feels, Angst with a Happy Ending, Beta Jung Hoseok | J-Hope, Beta Kim Seokjin | Jin, Blood and Violence, Bullying, Endgame Jeon Jungkook/Kim Taehyung | V, Eventual Relationships, Everyone Needs A Hug, Fairy Tale Elements, Falling In Love, Fandom Allusions & Cliches & References, Full Shift Werewolves, Grumpy Min Yoongi | Suga, Happy Ending, Hate to Love, Human Park Jimin (BTS), Idiots in Love, Jeon Jungkook & Min Yoongi | Suga Are Siblings, Jeon Jungkook Being an Asshole, Jeon Jungkook Is Bad at Feelings, Jeon Pack, Kim Taehyung | V & Park Jimin Are Best Friends, Kim Taehyung | V Is a Sweetheart, Kim Taehyung | V-centric, M/M, Min Yoongi | Suga Is Whipped, Minor Ahn Hyejin | Hwasa/Jung Wheein, Minor Character Death, Omega Kim Namjoon | RM, Omega Kim Taehyung | V, Original Character(s), Pack Dynamics, Pack Family, Pack Politics, Protective Older Brothers, Single Parents, Tags Are Hard, This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things, Tropes, Werewolf Mates, Werewolves Turn Into Actual Wolves, Wolves are mean, for Jimin's sweet bum, jeongguk is older
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-01
Updated: 2019-08-18
Packaged: 2019-10-20 09:33:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 12,685
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17619929
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fluidadoration/pseuds/fluidadoration
Summary: And while Taehyung wasn’t necessarily frightened by the taller something about the other’s fierce eyes, sharp fangs and wolfish expressions unsettled the freckled boy deeply and every time the other’s fierce eyes fell on someone disapprovingly Taehyung thought about his dad and what the pack had done to him.∞The Jeon Pack seemed to always be the talk of Kim Taehyung’s hometown.They were an incredibly influential pack despite being small in numbers. The ten full-shift wolves, with Jeon Jeongguk being the second eldest to three siblings, lived in the preserve with their town laying at the feet of the wide forest and mountains expanding over the horizon.In fact, nobody ever got really close the Jeon wolves.





	1. Part One: The Jeon Pack

**Author's Note:**

> I am so so excited to start this! This has been sitting in my drafts for so long and, finally, I want to expose this fine piece of thirst-induced, delusional "literature" to the critical eye of every endgame taekook gay ship seeker! English is not my mother tongue so if anything sounds unnatural, please be nice ... I'm trying my hardest here... (Don't make me cry, I'm sensitive...)
> 
> Full of tropes but just magical enough to hopefully be worth the read!

The Jeon Pack seemed to always be the talk of Kim Taehyung’s hometown.

They were an incredibly influential pack despite being small in numbers. The ten full-shift wolves, with Jeon Jeongguk being the second eldest to three siblings, lived in the preserve with their town laying at the feet of the wide forest and mountains expanding over the horizon.

The pack of pureblood wolves was private, incredibly so, which only fuelled the rumours going around about them. Jeongguk’s mother was a lawyer, working in their slow-moving town’s small court, never having lost a case. Jeongguk’s father was sometimes seen buying groceries at the local market but nothing much was known about him. Like all the Jeons he did not talk very much, and his unflinching red eyes scared most people off. He was rumoured to be feral, his instincts only rivalled by maybe Jeongguk or his older brother Yoongi who Taehyung had only heard frightening stories about but never seen in person as the other only left the preserve maybe once or twice a year.

In fact, nobody ever got really close the Jeon wolves.

Though, one thing that everybody knew was that the earth under their feet belonged and would always belong to the Jeons. The rest of the town was allowed on their ground on one condition only: nobody entered their preserve. It was common knowledge to stay clear of the forest and mountains of the preserve where the Jeons had decided to isolate themselves and to avoid problems with the Jeon wolves in general for they were vicious and proud creatures without mercy.

And so, it started something like this.

Half-blood Kim Taehyung had always had a knack for breaking the rules.

 

∞

 

Kim Taehyung lived at the far end of the town with his human mother in a small wooden house right at the edge of the dense, dark forest.  Taehyung loved it there even if the house itself was decidedly small and quiet run down. He loved the cosy atmosphere, the always lit fireplace and the soft humming of his beautiful and kind mother resounding through the paper-thin walls. Most of all, he loved the green all around, the flowers on his windows hill, the plants in his little kitchen garden and most of all the trees surrounding them on all sides and all the life and sounds the forest brought to their doorstep.

And Taehyung had played in and wandered the forest since he was an infant, his mother having long given up on making him stay away.

She knew Taehyung could not stay away, it was his father’s blood in veins, calling out to the woods.

Taehyung told everybody who would hear it that his father had been an extraordinarily stunning wolf. An omega rejected by his pack for falling in love with a human, he had been the only outsider to ever be accepted into the Jeon pack and Taehyung had never been able to rid himself of the small spark of hatred he felt for the Jeons for cursing his father’s fate. His mother had made him swear to always keep the pack’s identity a secret when he told the tragic story for she feared the wrath of their town, but Taehyung would never forget.

His father had been tall for an Omega; broad shouldered and incredibly fierce, graceful and deadly with eyes like pressed emeralds, beautiful but just as hard when needed as the world had not taught him kindness. His soft black locks had often curled about his sharp angular face and given him a youthful look.

Yet, with the years passing and age wearing him down he had become as dark and cruel as the forest of his home and the pack that had forsaken him. While his father had in no way been evil there had often been a peculiar darkness about the lone wolf that Taehyung’s mother had grown to fear when their love had dimmed over the years, a product of his being without a pack.

Maybe that is why they had chosen to separate when Taehyung had just turned twelve years old. His father had gone away and had not been seen since but once a year Taehyung got letters from him, delivered to his windows sill by a beautiful sparrow. By the smell, Taehyung assumed that his father had moved to one of the big cities as the letters smelled like ash and dirt.

Taehyung was their town’s only half-blood, yet he could not be more different to his father’s cool and distant beauty. He was the spitting image of his mother, thin but lean with tan skin and freckles decorating his face like constellations. He had eyes like tourmalines and hair the colour of the fur of a roe deer’s fawn, people said he looked more like a fairy than a wolf. He was warmer than his father ever had been, he was lively and cheery, of sunny disposition and incredibly trusting nature.

And that exactly was his most dangerous trait.

∞

 

Despite his kind nature, Taehyung had grown to be cautious around their town’s canines. For one, he was a half-blood, more so the son of an omega. He was the weakest of their town’s canine population, on the very bottom of their hierarchy and the stronger wolves liked to look down on him for it. He was a mud blood in their eyes, an abnormality. Secondly, he was the living, breathing result of a lone wolf who supposedly betrayed his pack. No wonder he was shunned by their town’s wolves.

For the most part, Taehyung did not feel different to his peers but in school it was the most noticeably. He was an outcast and it was entirely and undoubtedly the fault of one Jeon Jeongguk. The curel alpha who on the first day after the summer of Taehyung’s first coming of age as an omega, when he had still been a small chubby kid with big round glasses, had downright sneered at him after catching a whiff of his still tangy scent.

It made sense. Wolves ran in packs, so it wasn’t surprising that the rude kid had an arsenal of canine shifters following his every step. Jeongguk was the highest-ranking wolf of the school with an incredible level of dominance. He was a full-shift, pure-blooded alpha and in wolf custom that made him practically royalty and placed him at the top of the hierarchy, second not even to the principal.

Jeon Jeongguk was the closest to a wolf that was allowed within their society, not quite feral but definitely not detached from his instincts in ways the most shifters tended to be.

His sneer in Taehyung’s direction and the little warning growl made sense if the half-blood thought about it. He was watered down in a way, his blood half human and half omega. No wonder Jeongguk had sneered at him, he was a mouse to the other’s lion.

Once the alpha had sneered at Taehyung, every other wolf had taken it as permission to bully the omega, but Taehyung had long since learned not to pay attention to people who did not matter. If they did not use their dominance on him, he would be fine.

Taehyung was glad that Jeongguk went back to ignoring him right after the incident since he was the only one Taehyung honestly feared.

Although, it was more like the other overlooked him. Taehyung would not be surprised, he did have the smallest presence.

Though, for reasons unknown to the boy, his omega wolf had grown almost obsessed with Jeongguk and his scent. It was the one thing he actively fought his wolf, his instincts about.  Still, he had had to swallow down whimpers and whines countless times when he caught the other’s scent of pine needles and wood after a rain shower in spring.

It did not help that the other was an incredibly handsome wolf, with marble skin and black hair and eyes that could be stunningly disarming and cannily terrifying depending on the young wolf’s mood. The alpha’s full shift had to truly be a monstrosity if his human form managed to pull on Taehyung’s submissive instincts that much.

Taehyung liked to watch him out of the corner of his eyes in school, the other did not get the best grades, but Taehyung guessed that Jeon’s intelligence was of social kind. It was obvious to the other that the young wolf knew exactly how to talk to people, how to intimidate them, how to gain the upper hand in every situation, how to talk himself out of every punishment and when needed how to force others into submission. Also, the other either did not seem to care or simply could not pay attention in class.

In a way though, he was more attentive than everybody else Taehyung knew, and the omega couldn’t shake off the feeling that the Jeon was inherently intelligent.

With his heightened, wolfish senses fine-tuned to detecting even the smallest of noises, quick changes in other’s expressions and all things invisible to human eyes, the young alpha was impossible to deceive and lie to.

Maybe that was the reason Taehyung stayed clear of him. The alpha wolf was a predator and Taehyung was nothing but prey to the tall boy.

And while Taehyung wasn’t necessarily frightened (he was) by the taller something about the other’s fierce eyes, sharp fangs and wolfish expressions unsettled the freckled boy deeply and every time the other’s fierce eyes fell on someone disapprovingly, Taehyung though about his dad and what the pack had done to him.

It seemed to the blonde half-blood that Jungkook just did not care about things like kindness, love and respect, aloof and dismissal about everything other than dominance, protection and possession. A wolf through and through. Yet, if one could trust the rumours, an exceptional lover, as well. Taehyung always shivered at the thought, not being able to picture the other as tender or gentle.


	2. Part Two: First Run

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He let out a howl of grief painful even to his own ears, the sound more wolf than human and collapsed onto the cold hard ground again, his chest rising and falling rapidly with each gulp of air.
> 
> He was just so tired, yet, even with the edges of his vision slowly darkening, his ears caught the answering howl, the sound resounding deep within him. The howl of an alpha, signalling a hunt. The howl travelled through him, rattled his bones and leaving nothing but warmth and a strange sense of safety in its wake.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING!! CRINGE FEST!! 
> 
> Enjoy the second part! 
> 
> Also, you guys, I am always happy to read your lovely comments, keep 'em coming!

Taehyung had only one real friend, a human called Park Jimin who had pushed him down a hill in a temper tantrum when they had been roughly six years old, Jimin a bit older, with runny noses, rosy-cheeked and fighting over who could ride the sleigh next.

The other was possibly the only person in this town weaker than Taehyung. He was small and with baby fat in all the right places and embarrassing as it was Taehyung’s omega swooned over the other and his bright smile, curling his eyes into happy halfmoons.

Park Jimin was an angel, the only one to ever stand up for him in school when the other wolves would get particularly vicious, often around full moon.

∞

It was one of those days, the evening of Taehyung’s second coming of age, a full moon and a particularly strong one at that and the omega had been feeling restless and itchy for the whole week, opting to spend the afternoon and evening with his best friend outside as his wolf could barely endure staying inside at school today. The wolves had been incredibly cruel the last few weeks. It was coming of age season and Taehyung too would have his second and final coming of age today. It wouldn’t change much for him.

In the beginning of times, weh shifters were still more wolf than man, the second coming of age was your growth into your _first skin_ , into your wolf form. Nowadays, for most shifters it only strengthened instincts, heightened all canine aspects of your personality and supposedly your scent changed so that it became noticeable for your destined mate as full-shift wolves were rare and kept to themselves.

Taehyung had long since given up on the thought of finding a mate, considering the way the wolves of this town treated him, the chances of ever having a mate that loved him wholly, despite his weak nature, seemed slim if anything.

“Tae, you can’t let them do that to you! Those fucking halfwits with their stupid posturing and dominating crap, I swear I’ll make them pay one day. That is the third time this week and I can’t always be there to stop them, you have to start fighting back at one point. I’ll graduate this year and you’ll be all alone at school.”

They were laying on their backs in the wet grass in the backyard of Taehyung’s house as Jimin still refused to enter the forest, enjoying the last rays of sun of a warm day in fall. Fallen leaves pooled around them and the biting wind ruffled their hair and let the leaves dance. Taehyung sighed and closed his eyes.

He had lost count of how many times they had this discussion and Taehyung could not explain to Jimin that his wolf _did not let him fight back_ for the simple reason that it was Jeon Jeongguk who had passed judgement on him. He had long accepted that his omega would not refuse the alpha and had tried to work around it and avoid his army of minions as much as possible.

At the beginning, Taehyung had hated the alpha for the power he had over his omega, but it was not in his nature to hate and, at least, the attacks never came from the Jeon directly. Taehyung did not know what his omega would do in that case and he hoped he would never learn. Good thing the wolf never showed up to school when full moon came around.

“Don’t worry, Jiminie, I’ll be fine. It’s only bruises and their words can’t hurt me.”

He smiled at the other who puffed out his cheeks in response.

“But, Tae, I won’t be in school soon and I doubt the assholes will stop bothering you just because Jeon graduates with me this year. For all I know, it could get worse. I won’t be here forever.”

Taehyung closed his eyes, trying to ignore the Goosebumps breaking out on his skin.

“Don’t talk like you’ll move away. It’s only graduation. I’ll visit you every day after school. Please don’t make it sound like we’ll never see each other again. We’ll still be best friends, right? … Jiminie?”

When Jimin did not answer right away, shouting in indignation that Taehyung would never be able to get rid of him like he usually did, Taehyung turned to the other. Jimin’s shoulders were tense and deep worry lines made his face appear a decade older. Taehyung touched the other’s hand lightly, shyly and panic rose up in him when Jimin did not intertwine their hands as he usually did.

“…Right?” He hesitated and curled into himself, his omega whining at the other’s rejection.

Silence surrounded the two, only the wind rustling through the slowly darkening trees. Taehyung’s heart pounded, he had a bad feeling and it was slowly choking him. Jimin stood up, clenching his fist in a nervous habit and Taehyung followed suit, the two of them facing each other. Jimin refused to meet the omega’s worried gaze.

“I got accepted into college for dance, Tae, in the big city. I got the letter today.”

“What…?”

And with a few words, Taehyung’s whole world crumpled down. He felt weak all of a sudden, like gravity had been turned up and was pulling him to the ground. Jimin’s eyes filled with tears as Taehyung flinched back and wrapped his skinny arms around his midsection. Both of them really cried too easily.

He felt the burn of rejection and deep cutting grief and his omega howled in pain at the thought of Jimin going away, the only thing close to a pack mate that Taehyung had. Without Jimin the young wolf would truly be alone, and a sob escaped him, a heart-breaking sound that made Jimin reach out to him. Taehyung could smell his guilt and worry, and Taehyung knew he should be happy for the other for all the other ever wanted to do was dance to his heart’s content.

Yet, his panic made him forget all logic. Taehyung wasn’t confrontational in nature, even for an omega but the loss of his only pack mate had Taehyung feeling practically insane with anger and desperation.

In addition to his inner turmoil, there was an irritating buzzing sensation at the base of his skull, a tug that was nearly similar to when his wolf was calling out to him but much worse. It felt like his insides were convulsing. It made pinpricks break out down his arms, made his mouth run dry and throat clog up. Distantly, Taehyung knew he was _missing_ something, but he could not think, could only breathe through the overwhelming instinct to run away from the person who had hurt him more than any bully’s word ever could.

And really, who was Taehyung to fight his wolf.

Blindly, he pushed Jimin aside, who was crying and begging him to just listen, to run head-first into the dark forest, only the full moon illuminating his way.

“Tae, wait, please!! Please, let me explain!”

Taehyung sped up even though he knew Jimin would never follow him into the forest. Suddenly, the volume around him went from silent to bombastic making Taehyung flinch violently. He heard every rustling and crack of wood under his feet, every sound of the forest. His lungs burned, and Taehyung realized he was panting, breathing too fast to gain meaningful breath but feeling like he was going to drown without it. His tears blinded his vision, but Taehyung sprinted forward, a singlemindedness to his thoughts.

He felt hot and cold, shivering violently but wanting out of his clothes, skin feeling too tight and sensitive. His knees were trembling violently, and Taehyung was terrified. He stumbled and fell to the ground, his knees and hands catching his fall.

He screamed in pain. It was like someone had poured liquid lava over him, like his skin and joints were melting and like his insides were rearranging themselves.

His vision went out of focus and he could hear his blood rushing through his veins. He shook his head in an attempt to clear it but the motion sent a wave of dizziness and nausea through his body. His arms gave out under him and he crumbled to the ground, his head hitting the cold dirt with a dull thump.

Desperately, Taehyung gasped for air and with every breath a flood of scents overwhelmed him. He had never smelled the calming, earthy scent of the forest this intensely. He smelled pine trees, the wet soil and breathed in the smell of all the plants and animals. It was euphoric, Taehyung felt a sense of calmness wash over him and he felt complete like something that had been missing had returned to him, like the last missing puzzle piece had fallen into his right place.

All of sudden, the pain disappeared.

His body was tingling, everything felt unusual and instable yet anything but unnatural and it did not take the small wolf long to realise what had happened to him on this bright full moon night.

He, half-blood and omega, had _shifted_.

It was impossible, never even a possibility that the small wolf wasted even a single thought about _for it did not make sense_.

He was not supposed to be able to shift and Taehyung could not help but fear for himself. He felt like he was drowning in the knowledge that something as wonderful as being able to shift would undoubtedly only bring him pain and suffering.

Everything came crushing down on him, Jimin leaving, the fear of what the future would bring. He tried to stand up but as he was not used to his wolf form, the different centre of gravity, everything frightening and new, his attempts were futile.

He let out a howl of grief painful even to his own ears, the sound more wolf than human and collapsed onto the cold hard ground again, his chest rising and falling rapidly with each gulp of air.

He was just so tired of everything, the shift had taken all his energy and even with the edges of his vision slowly darkening, his ears caught the answering howl, the sound resounding deep within him. The howl of an alpha, signalling a hunt. The howl travelled through him, rattled his bones and leaving nothing but warmth and a strange sense of safety in its wake.

Taehyung wondered why the image of a certain rude alpha wolf came to mind and why the thought fuelled the flame inside of him even as his conscious slipped from him and everything turned pitch black

 

∞

 

“Do you think he knows?” Taehyung felt like he was underwater and floating. The voices talking low so subdued that Taehyung in his confusion could hardly tell where one word began, and another ended.

“I don’t know, Hoseok, it’s too early to say… But how could this fucking happen, how- Shit, how is he? It’s too fucking early for this; this moon was brutal…” Taehyung did not recognize the gruff voice whose owner now clicked his tongue and muttered something along the lines of _how fucking bothersome_.

“… I don’t know, hyung… but Kook is not happy with me, I have never seen him this insane with anger he almost killed Joonie when he to keep him away-” “Don’t-“ The gruff voice interrupted unkindly. “You shouldn’t have stepped in, Hoseok, he was his to claim.”

“But he’s so tiny, hyung… and his fur, I’ve never seen a wolf with red fur, he looks like a fox… Kook would have ripped him to shreds and he smells like a lone wolf, who is he Yoongi? How did we not know about him?”

The unfamiliar voice trailed off. Taehyung tried opening his eyes, but it was like his eyelids were glued shut. He could feel himself sinking deeper into the water and his limps were too numb to even attempt to struggle.

 “I don’t know Hoseok, but he reminds me of someone and, gods, I fucking hope I’m wrong about it…”


	3. Part Three: Awakening

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Taehyung awoke to the feeling of warmth surrounding him on all sides and sunlight on his skin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello munchkins!  
> I have news... this is now planned to be double the original number of chapters! U got really carried away with the plot and I don't want to make the chapters too lengthy :) 
> 
> Thank you for all the lovely comments <3 
> 
> Enjoy!!

 

Taehyung awoke to the feeling of warmth surrounding him on all sides and sunlight on his skin.

He took deep breaths but he could not seem to clear his head. He felt like he was wrapped in cotton. With a hazy mind, insanely sleepy. He shifted on what felt like soft furs on a bed and at once hot-white pain zapped up his spine. Whimpering, he curled in on himself, trying to move as little as possible and the pain ebbed away slowly.

He was sore, like he had run for a whole week without stopping and someone had taken his body and pulled his limps in every direction. It almost felt like he didn’t fit his skin, something felt different with his body.

And then, he remembered what had happened presumably last night or whenever, who knows how long he had been asleep. It certainly felt like ages had passed.

He remembered the fight with Jimin, trying to breathe through the guilt and pain surfacing at the memory and concentrated on the pull of the moon and the feeling of cold dirt under his paws.

Yes, his _paws_. Taehyung’s head span with all the sensations flooding his mind. The scents, the sounds and he allowed himself a small moment of happiness, no, not happiness, _euphoria_. He felt whole, like something he had been missing his whole life had come back to him. Taehyung had never felt closer to his omega; it was like the sun on his skin warmed him from the inside, like he had his very own sun inside him.

Subconsciously, he buried deeper into the furs which smelled heavenly like pine needles and wood after a rain shower in spring. The scent was familiar and sparked something deep within Taehyung but with his mind still reeling he could not place it. It only fueled the happiness bubbling in his stomach like a thousand butterflies.

He opened his eyes slowly and was greeted with a truly magnificent view.

Taehyung was laying on a king-sized bed in a beautiful wooden room that had such a natural and warm atmosphere that Taehyung’s panic at not knowing exactly where he was, was pushed to the back of his mind without his noticing.

The bed faced a window and the view was unlike anything Taehyung had ever seen. His room was hillside of a mountain, overlooking a narrow valley. The water of a small but proud river glittered in the sun and deep dark pine forest blanketed the slopes of the two mountains caging in the small current. It was a sunny day but judging by the position of the sun it could not be noon yet. The riverbed was decked with flowers, vibrant and beautiful and Taehyung imagined them to be smelling heavenly.

He knew only one forest as dense and peaceful as this.

At once, Taehyung knew where he was, and the thought send a bolt of fear through his sore body.

He was in the preserve, not only that, he was in a cabin in the preserve and there was only one family allowed to live on this land.

Taehyung cursed at himself. He was probably in the pack house of the Jeon wolves and that meant he was in _deep trouble_. At once, the beautiful view made Taehyung want to cry. Frustrated tears welled up in his eyes as Taehyung thought to himself that he must be a fool to believe that anything would ever go well for him.

A whine spilled from his lips that he could not suppress, and the sound was hurtful even to his own ears. He supposed it was an omegan sound and he scolded himself. The last thing he wanted was for one of the full-shift wolves to notice that he had awoken.

Suddenly, the scent of pine needles intensified, and Taehyung felt nauseous.

As he sat in silence, shivering and sore, nauseous amidst the wonderful smell of _Jeon Jungkook_ , unable to move, Taehyung felt the absurd need to bury deeper into the smell as it offered comfort and a sense of safety even with the knowledge who exactly it belonged to.

He did not dare to believe that there was some perfectly logical reason why he awoke in the room of his personal nightmare. He did not dare hope that he this was all just a coincidence. He did not let himself be deluded about the true nature of this gift of shifting. Full-shift wolves suffered without a pack, it was one of the few things known about them, some lost their ability to shift, some fell into incurable sickness, some even died, and some wolves fell into darkness. Like his father for example.

The tears spilled over and Taehyung buried his head in his cold, clammy hands. Inevitably, he would have to face this situation but for now Taehyung allowed himself to curl into himself on the furs and cry to himself silently.

The scent of his tears was sharp and salty and clung to his skin like a wet cloak. Taehyung had always been sensitive to emotions and he assumed that his second coming of age had made him even more of an empath than he already was. One more thing, that made him vulnerable.

 

∞

 

He was unaware of how much time had passed but after what felt like hours, he dried his tears with the sleeves of the white shirt much too big for him, refusing to acknowledge who it might belong to as the thought of Jeon Jeongguk seeing him vulnerable and touching him made him whimper in delight and disgust in equal measure. Nothing was ever easy when it came to the alpha.

He ignored his protesting muscles and set his bare feet on the cold ground. The shirt reached the middle of his thighs and he decided that it covered enough for now. It was not like he planned for someone to see him.

Cautiously, he sat one foot in front of the other, supporting himself with his hand against the wall. The beautiful wooden wing door to his right lead into a sunlit corridor with another three doors, one beside his room and two on the opposite wall. His feet made no sound against the ground, he felt even lighter than usual, graceful almost as he sneaked towards the stairway.

He flinched when he heard muffled voices coming from somewhere downstairs. Taehyung’s heart stood still as the smell of eggs and bacon reached his nose. The difference between his mind-numbing fear and the homely, domestic scene probably unfolding just a flight of stairs away, was baring.

Taehyung’s clammy, cold hand grabbed the ailing as he swayed on his feet, a rush of nausea and dizziness making him grit his teeth as he fought to regain his balance. He closed his eyes and focused on the voices. Three people spoke to each other, they seemed to be in a good mood, light tone and friendly tilt to their banter. Taehyung could not distinguish what they were saying, his mind still in chaos but he knew that did not recognize their voices.

He took the stairs step by step, cautious not to make a sound and saw light falling into another, bigger hallway from an open door to his left. He assumed it was the kitchen as the sound of bacon sizzling in a pan reached his sensitive ears. He could not pass the open door without being noticed that he was sure of, so he stood frozen at the end of the big stair case and his heartbeat pounded in his ears like cannon shots.

He stood frozen and the need to flee became unbearable. He knew that he could never outrun Jeon wolves, but every bone of his body screamed at him to get himself out of this house. Taehyung was a strategist by heart and right now he _wanted to run_ , his instincts hindering all coherent thought. His eyes searched the beautiful decorated hallway. It comforted him that this seemed to already be the entrance of the house as rows of shoes stood beside a large wing door and jackets hung on ornate racks. He was almost there, just a few meters separated him from the safety of the forest. It was a miracle that the three wolves in the kitchen had not yet noticed him. The smell of their breakfast masked their scents, but he supposed it also hindered them from smelling him, standing just outside of their field of vision beside the door, pheromones practically screaming distress and fear.

“When will he wake up?”

Taehyung’s head shot into the direction of the kitchen with such force that his vision swam. His breathing collapsed as every muscle in his body pulled itself taut. No doubt, they were speaking about him.

“I don’t know, Hoseok, his shift was brutal. Several bones were broken and the skin on his back ripped. It took hours for the bleeding to stop, Jeongguk was livid.”

Taehyung withstood the urge to check the skin of back as pain shot through him at the words and he did not register the rest of the sentence. The voice that had answered was rough and deep, almost a drawl, it felt as if the other had to constantly speak around a growl and Taehyung shivered at the tone full of authority and dominance. An alpha, undoubtedly, and a high ranking one at that-

“I’ve never seen anything like, Yoongi… He was bleeding out in my hands, but his body just wouldn’t heal itself, his wolf was refusing me. This has never happened before, it was like his wolf did not recognize me as one of his kind… I don’t know why but when Jeongguk- He is too weak and thin, he is hardly bigger than a cub-”

Taehyung was shocked to hear that the voice sounded genuinely concerned rather than hostile and condescending. It did not make sense. The Jeons were not known for their hospitality and Taehyung had expected to be punished for stepping onto their ground. The protective tone of the wolf bewildered him and he took a step back on instinct.

In his distracted state, he did not notice the first step of the staircase and stumbled. His bottom met the stairs with a painful thud and the frightened wolf let out a small whimper.

The voices fell silent.

Taehyung’s heartrate skyrocketed and he discarded all reason, all but throwing his protesting body in the direction of front door. By some miracle, he managed to throw the heavy door open and stumbled into an entrance way of sorts. He heard voices shouting behind him but he his fear pushed him to run into the direction of the forest, spreading out on all sides of the Jeon’s property.

He heard thunderous footsteps behind him and risked a look at his pursuers. He screamed when he saw the crimson glowing eyes of an alpha fixed on him, two wolves just a few inches behind the frightening wolf. The three wolves chased him, quickly catching up to him and Taehyung sobbed when every step shot hot-white pain up his slowly numbing legs. He felt incredibly unsteady on his bare feet as he broke through the forest edge. He stumbled over a large branch and toppled to the ground, skimming his knees on the ground which started bleeding immediately from deep scratches.

He tried to get up, but his legs did not cooperate. It was like all strength had left him and the small wolf’s vision swam as the nausea came back in full force. It was hopeless Taehyung thought as he folded into himself, pushing his hands against his stomach. The scent of his own blood in the air causing bile to rise into his throat. His lungs burned and he felt like he was steadily collapsing.

“Don’t be scared, please, we would never hurt you but you need to breath! You are hyperventilating!”

Taehyung flinched at the sound of a frantic voice and looked up, crawling back and curling into himself some more. He could not quite focus on the face of the wolf but the scent of unfamiliar beta suffocated him and he let out a sharp whistling sound, a high-pitched whimper.

The smell of the alpha, pitch and burned wood, got stronger and Taehyung hissed at the short, blonde alpha who had tried to step closer to him. He ignored the pain in his body and slowly crawled backwards under the eyes of the three wolves who had for some reason not tried to hurt him or take him back against his will but Taehyung was beyond reason.

“Yoongi, you’re scaring him! For God’s sake, get your wolf under control!”

Taehyung was shocked to hear an omega speaking to the livid looking alpha who huffed in response but closed his eyes and visibly fought his instinct to chase prey, in this case Taehyung.

“Honey, please, you don’t have to be scared of us, we are just trying to help you.”

The omega was beautiful, Taehyung registered somewhere in the back of his mind when his attention shifted to the tall, broad-shouldered wolf with the sweet face who was looking at him with concern. It was the same worried voice from before and without his consent some tension left his body at the sight of the other’s open body language and pleasing scent of lavender.

“My name is Namjoon, I’m the Jeon pack’s healer and we brought you here after we found you unconscious on our territory last night.”

His voice was calm and when he saw that Taehyung was listening to him, his face softened and he unleashed a dimpled smile that made warmth blossom in Taehyung’s heart.

“Your injuries did not heal well, please, try not to move. We need to check if your injuries from last night are healed. We are really sorry you woke up alone, we thought your body needed more time to heal.”

Taehyung closed his eyes and took a deep breath, his instincts told him that at least the gentle omega talking to him was not a threat. With the fear and panic slowly disappearing, he could not suppress his questions.

“Why am I here? What happened last night after I-… After I-“

“After you shifted?” Namjoon guessed with a worried glance at the other two wolves who had taken a few steps backwards respectfully.

At once, Taehyung became wary. But his instincts had never fooled him before, he thought to himself and made himself even smaller.

“From what we know, you lost consciousness after your shift because of the toll it took on your body. You are… Well, you are weaker than most wolves but it is quiet worrisome just how _small_ you are.”

Namjoon seemed to gauge his reaction but Taehyung had known he was a weak wolf his whole life, so he was not fazed by the knowledge that his _first skin_ reflected that. He looked the other omega into the eyes and tried to communicate that he was not about to run at the knowledge. Despite the unlikeliness of this situation in general, of him being able to shift against all logic, nothing had ever felt more natural to the small omega and he was thankful beyond words for this gift now that he knew he would no be hurt by the Jeon pack, at least not right now.

“We-…, we heard your howl on our pack run last night and took you back to the mansion to treat your wounds.”

Taehyung felt like the other was omitting a deciding part of the story but he knew confronting the other would get him nowhere and the need to go home to his mother and Jimin and _sleep_ became almost unbearable.

Still, he felt guilty for having judged the omega for his belonging to the Jeon pack when the other had treated his wounds even after he entered the preserve against all common sense in his panic.

“I-… Thank you.”

Taehyung unleashed his smile and Namjoon’s intelligent eyes widened at the sight.

“It’s no problem, really, don’t mention it.” It was cute how the other stumbled over his words and Taehyung wanted to coo at the endearing omega.

“Can I go home now? My mom is probably really worried.”

His gaze drifted from Namjoon to the other wolves who had held themselves in the background until now. Taehyung was surprised to see their almost friendly expressions.

The blonde alpha did not look as scary without the fear of the chase, rather, he looked very handsome in a self-satisfied way with lidded and tired eyes and an unimpressed tilt to his mouth. Taehyung could imagine the other lazing around and sunbathing in a forest meadow, a big wolf with the nature of a lazy sun cat appearing before his inner eye. Yet, despite his relaxed features and stance, the alpha’s eyes bore a wild gleam that betrayed his true nature and strength as an alpha. He met Taehyung’s curious gaze with a small incline of his head as if responding to Taehyung’s wordless acknowledgement.

The lean beta behind him had bright, attentive eyes and a long face with expressive features, Taehyung imagined him to be of cheeky, energetic disposition and full of life. When he met Taehyung’s gaze, a stunning smile that the beta seemingly could not repress lit up his face.  He seemed like an incredibly social wolf, friendly and open and Taehyung felt that it would be too easy to like the beta.

Distracted by his observation, the omega still sitting on the ground of the forest was startled to hear the alpha speak up.

“What about your father?” Almost a growl but not malicious sounding just a wolfish voice.

Taehyung was bewildered by the question. What did his father have to do with any of this? Taehyung thought to himself. If anything, the Jeon alpha had to know more about his father’s fate than he himself for they were the pack that had sealed his father’s fate.

“Yoongi!” Namjoon hissed and his eyes were full of panic, the beta was also looking at the alpha in fear the stench of their distress slowly creeping up on Taehyung as the wolves looked on as the alpha closed in on Taehyung.

“You’re a half-blood, aren’t you?” The alpha continued without paying his packmates reactions any heed, his crimson eyes suddenly seemed more cold than lazy and Taehyung glared at the alpha.

“You are the son of a lone wolf, aren’t you? And I know, for a fact, there’s only one lone wolf that used to live in this town and he _sure as hell_ wasn’t allowed to have a son with this human woman he betrayed his pack for.”

Taehyung bared his teeth as fury overcame his every sense, how dare the alpha speak to him of his father and mother. As if his father needed to be allowed to love, as if he needed their approval to lead the life he wanted. Taehyung could not supress the angry tears dripping down his cheeks. Never in his his life had he felt so angry, so sad and so betrayed by his instincts for he had almost allowed himself to relax in their presence.

 He growled at the panicked omega who had taken a step in his direction as if to comfort him and the other jerked away, guilt and sorrow written all over his face that did not seem so friendly to the sobbing omega anymore.

It was the pack that had driven his father into darkness, into solitude, it was the Jeon pack who had destroyed his family and cursed his life. It was _Jeon Jeongguk_ who gave permission to make his life a living hell, these wolves had banished his poor father and Taehyung hated himself for having trusted the wolves in front of him for even a second, for having given them a chance to even speak to him. He would never forgive them. _Never_.

The alpha was talking but Taehyung could not make out any of his words over the sounds of his own grief. He cried until there was no air left in his lungs and his voice cracked. His vision was slowly darkening and Taehyung welcomed the numbing sensations in his limps as the scent of pine needles and wood after a rain shower flooded his senses.


	4. Part Four: Bitten

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It was near painful how attractive the alpha was, his marble skin tinted a golden hue in the warm candlelight and black hair falling into his expressive eyes, framed by long eyelashes. For all the years Taehyung had watched the other he had never seen such an expression of wonder and it was so amiss on the other's face that it left Taehyung’s mind reeling.

In hindsight, Taehyung had to admit to himself that his family had never been particularly harmonious, especially when his father had still been living with them. More so, he could not recall more than a handful of good memories with his father for the tall omega had been cold and aloof as his smiles grew rarer over the years. It was a weird feeling but throughout his whole childhood his own father had practically stayed a _stranger_ to the innocent boy, warmth bleeding through the other’s coldness only a handful of times. Taehyung knew that the world had not taught his father kindness and love and in the best case his own flesh and blood _just did not know better_ , but rejection and cold disinterest cut deep into the young boy’s soul nevertheless. It had taken years for the small omega to fully forgive his father and understand that he was not the one at fault here. Not really.

But rather, the pack that had killed all life and joy in his father’s soul, the wolves who had turned him cold and withdrawn with Jeon Jeongguk going to his school, a constant reminder of the pain and anger Taehyung had felt when he had woken up one day to the absence of a third heartbeat in their small house.

Taehyung had never understood why his mother had all but refused to blame the Jeons for their family’s fate. Maybe, she did but Taehyung could never get a word from her on the matter.

But she forbade her son to talk about it all the same. It was one of the very few times his soft-spoken mother had raised her voice at him, her eyes wide in panic and melodious voice frantic with the need to make her son see.

He had never agreed with her on the matter, he wanted the world to know what the Jeons had done to his parents, what they had done to _him._

It was only when he awoke in the Jeon’s mansion for a second time that he a sense of what his mother was trying to say dawned on him, that is to say, one should never get close to the Jeons in any way for many a man was caught in their sharp jaws.

 

∞

 

Someone was talking but Taehyung could not make out any of his words over the sound of his own heartbeat. His vision was only slowly clearing up and Taehyung welcomed the lack feeling for his body as it softened the pain the numb omega knew was to come.

He felt incredibly apathetic and it took minutes that felt like hours to regain his sense of self-awareness. For the small boy to feel soft furs and a mattress dipping down with his weight. He had to actively concentrate on breathing and the hairs on his sore body raised. It felt like he had been frozen and was thrown into a hot pan. Taehyung could not suppress the shivers racking down his wrecked body.

He barely registered the soft blanket on him and curled further into himself. He was in pain, yet, he was not.

He whimpered and suddenly as if summoned by the painful sound, the scent of pine needles and wood after a rain shower flooded his senses.

He whimpered as the scent washed over him like a blanket and banished all pain. Something was blaring in the back of his mind, a loud horn that demanded attention that Taehyung just could not give right now as his mind was clearing up. The scent was close, Taehyung could practically taste it, even though it should be impossible, the tantalizing smell of one alpha. Taehyung barely kept the surprised cry in his throat when he heard another voice joining the murmuring, terribly familiar.

He lifted his head and it felt like his heart stopped, that he had simply ceased breathing. Time seemed to completely slow down, everything around him muting to white noise as his eyes found _Jeon Jungkook_ ’s with strange ease, watching in complete awe the rapidly rising red taking over the taller wolf’s irises.

Taehyung’s own vision was going completely hazy, tunneling to focus completely on the alpha, the first real grounding feeling since he awoke. He felt weak all of a sudden like gravity had been turned up and was pulling him to the young alpha who had his attention solely focused on the cowering omega.

The alpha did not spare his packmates a glance that were talking among themselves, oblivious of Taehyung’s awakening. There was a singlemindedness to his actions when he walked towards the confused omega. Moves precise and slow as if not to startle Taehyung, he kneeled beside him who jolted violently, broken out of his trance at the smooth dulcet tone directed to him.

“Breathe.”

As if his body could not refuse the beautiful, terrifying wolf, he took a deep shuddering breath. He heard the alpha take a deep breath himself, and it had his own hitching in response. Taehyung was hyper-aware of Jeongguk crouched in front of him, a warm blockade that had Taehyung’s senses going haywire of whether it was a safe feeling or not.

Like that, Taehyung took breaths in time with the alpha’s heartbeat and slowly the dizziness and confusion ebbed away. With his mind clearing, Taehyung felt as if he was finally in control again and it became _unbearable_ to hold the alpha’s intense gaze.

He lowered his eyes in defiance, chiding himself for his reaction. The Jeon was not _safe_ , he was, in fact, responsible for years of pain and suffering, having made his life a living hell in school. He cursed himself for being unable to withstand a command from the other even if it had been for his own good.

“Better?”  

The alpha’s voice was almost soothing, words low and deep and Taehyung _hated_ how it affected him.

Taehyung refused to answer the alpha, clamping his lips shut even when he felt tears rolling down his cheeks. When the alpha reached out to touch him, Taehyung reacted on instinct and slapped his hand away, flinching at the growls coming from the shocked alpha and the wolves standing behind the young alpha and bowing his head in fear.

Taehyung pulled his knees to his chest and closed his eyes as a crushing silence seized control of the room, the tension palpable.

He did not want any of them to touch him, even if his body hurt with the need to reach out to one particular alpha, he did not even want their eyes on him. _He hated the Jeon pack._ He hated what they had done to his father. He hated that he woke up in their pack house of all places and _most of all he hated Jeon Jeongguk_.

Anger burned inside him, giving him the strength to lift his head and really look at the wolves.

It seemed that he had been brought to the same room he had woken up in but this time the curtains were drawn and the soft glow of the candles scattered throughout the room illuminated the tense faces of what Taehyung guessed was the entirety of the Jeon pack. Taehyung recognized Jeongguk’s parents and the three wolves who had chased him and of course the young alpha kneeling beside the bed whose gaze was burning into the defiant omega.

He met their gazes silently, daring them to say the first words and was startled when Jeongguk’s mother leveled him with a soft but firm gaze.

“Kim Taehyung, it is nice to see that you have woken up. My name is Jeon Mi Rae and I, as the pack alpha, welcome you on behalf of the Jeon pack here in our preserve. As of the last full moon, you are under our protection and we gratulate you on your _first skin._ May the moon be gentle to you.”

Taehyung was too stunned to react much to the fierce woman bowing her head to him. She crossed her arms in front of her chest, a smile displaying a pair of sharp fangs as she lowered her arms in a weird gesture that looked too practiced to be anything but some kind of official ritual. The other wolves followed her gesture and Taehyung shivered, his wolf recognizing the movement as something holy and old. Instinctually, he bowed his head and bared his throat in a sign of submission, reading happy surprise and approval in the pack alpha’s maroon eyes.

“First of all, I want to apologize. You were not supposed to wake up alone on unfamiliar ground the night after your first shift but you recovered faster than we anticipated and the instinct to run was only natural. We had hoped Jeongguk’s scent would calm you as it had on the night of the full moon when your wolf was refusing Namjoon’s attempts to treat your injuries. It seems as if your omegan instincts are unrivaled, your wolf is very instinct-driven. My son Jeongguk was the only one you let close to you, we assume that is because your wolf knew his scent. You go to the same school, no?”

Taehyung flinched at the mention of the name and felt an uncomfortable, hot flush rise on his cheeks. How mortifying, he thought. Against his will, his gaze wandered to the kneeling alpha and he gasped when he found the other’s intense eyes fixed unflinchingly at him.

The small omega could not describe the sensation that flooded his senses, his body, his mind when they locked eyes. It felt like the other was seeing him for the first time and, really, that could be the case for the only time the young alpha had paid him any attention at all was when he sneered at him.

It was near painful how attractive the alpha was, his marble skin tinted a golden hue in the warm candlelight and black hair falling into his expressive eyes, framed by long eyelashes. For all the years Taehyung had watched the other he had never seen such an expression of wonder and the picture was so amiss on the other's face that it left Taehyung’s mind reeling.

“I-I don’t remember… I don’t understand- “ He stuttered, feeling incredibly insecure.

This time it was Jeongguk’s father that answered him, his gaze soft and careful. The man was startingly different to his rumors, a gentle light in eyes which were more of a dusky pink than the feral red the town had attributed him. Taehyung was shocked to find that he could not make out if the tall raven haired was an alpha, beta or omega.

“It is quite normal to not be able to remember but otherwise, you see, you are a special case, Taehyung. Please don’t misunderstand but I am unable to express this any other way… Your being able to shift should be _impossible_. You are a half-blood, the son of a human and a lone omega. Your _first skin_ is decidedly small and weak but you shifted all the same.”

He paused as if to carefully consider his next words.

“We think it is because of your father, Taehyung, he was also… a special case.” He hesitated and a dark shadow in the other’s serious eyes made the omega tied up in knots under ten gazes, shudder.

“What is it?”

Nobody answered him, a crushing tension in the room, and the omega panicked.

“What is it? Tell me!” His voice climbed an octave in fear. Every muscle in his body was pulled taut and he could not swallow around the lump in his throat.

“Your father, he was once part of this pack and he was the first outsider to be accepted. _Your father was also not born a wolf.”_

Taehyung’s eyes widened in horror.

“He was forced to join this pack to learn how to live as a wolf and forbidden any interaction outside the pack. He was exiled after falling in love with your mother against all odds.”

Taehyung was frozen. His stomach revolted and his breathing picked up as he tried to grasp the implications behind the wolf’s words.

Guilt clouded the pack’s expressions and Taehyung could not stand the sight. They did not deserve the forgiveness they were so obviously seeking from him. _They deserved to_ _suffer, and he would make them._ And Taehyung would be shocked about his own vile thoughts if he was not so mindlessly terrified.

“Your father was bitten. He was bitten against his will. By me.”

 _A_   _monster. An abnormality. A myth. A Nightmare told to children to keep them from going astray. The wolf that could turn._

Taehyung screamed when he felt his bones shifting, his skin turning into liquid lava and sharp fangs cutting into his lips, trashing when strong hands grabbed hold of him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dan dan daaaaaaaan!! *dramatic tush followed by evil laughter* Hehehe, this is so much fun!! I am having a blast writing this and I appreciate every kudo and comment! You guys are lovely!


	5. Part Five: Unusual News

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He felt the omega’s soft presence behind himself and he had to withstand the urge to keep the other in his line of vision. Taehyung thought that the other had to be around his age and technically that meant the other had likely had no part in the hideous crime against his father, but he was still a part of the Jeon pack. Birds of a feather, flock together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I AM BACK! Hey gay ship seekers, how are ya? 
> 
> This chapter is rather short but it felt good to write again after uni and my job stole all of my time. I hope to get the next chapter out by the end of April but I'm not sure I'll have the time to write as I literally have so much to do like wth ughhhhhh
> 
> Anyway, follow me on twitter @funkymorning I am a very funny nugget goodbyeeeeee

Taehyung did not remember clearly what had happened that night and would not for a long time; there were only hues of red and the smell of blood whether it was his own or not he could not say.

That and _fury_ , fury burning so hot that Taehyung woke up feeling like his insides had turned into ash and that had certainly not disappeared when he awoke with his hands bound to the bedposts of the very same bed. He was alone and the room was dark save for the one candle lit on the nightstand.

Taehyung’s mind was reeling with the events of the last twenty-four hours. He could not wrap his head about what he had learned of his father and the Jeon pack. More so, he refused to accept the truth. Bitten wolves were a myth, a warning, _figurative speech_. “Come back before nightfall, bitten wolves lurk behind every corner.”

Nobody really _survived_ the bite, not in the sense that mattered. Nobody had ever survived having a wolf forced into them, into their core and woven into their very nature. It seemed unnatural to even imagine to the omega who had been born _with_ his wolf, who had in all senses been _born a wolf_.

His mother had told him stories of bitten wolves and how they turned into deformed pitiful creatures who died taking their first breath. Distorted, misshapen, malformed. Or how they lost their mind, bloodlust and insanity eating away at their being.

It was the greatest punishment and the worst way to die. It was said that people who died this way certainly deserved it for there was no other reasonable explanation for such torture. People could not imagine this to be anything other than a holy judgment for sinners.

And fitting into this painting was the wolf who could turn, the wolf element of every threat, a bogeyman to keep rebellious wolves in check, to keep them from going astray, a henchman of the evil and the infinite darkness, a judge as much as an executor. He was the wolf who only came out on nights where the moon was hidden, and the darkness was at its peak.

Taehyung had never been as afraid as he was laying in the dark room in the house of the wolf that had condemned his father.

His tears were silent, and sleep did not come easily at night.

 

∞

Namjoon was the first to come to see him.

He came with his head bowed after Taehyung had spent a few nights alone in his gilded prison.

His shackles had disappeared after the second night, but the door remained locked except for the times food which he barely touched miraculously appeared on the table facing the big window. Taehyung had not spoken a word since he had woken up, spending his days watching the journey of the sun and the moon over the mountaintops. He felt numb and the hours dragged on as he avoided thinking about anything other than his mother and Jimin and how they were probably worried sick. Slowly, with each hour he felt himself getting weaker, felt his resolve weaken, felt his anger disappearing no matter how hard he tried to hold onto his hatred. Now he was just numb.

When he heard the knock on the wooden door to his room he did not react, he did not move from his spot on the floor right in front of the window, so close that if he leaned forward just a little bit his nose would touch the cold glass. The warmth of the sun on his skin was the only source of comfort he had so he rarely left his place at the window.

He felt the omega’s soft presence behind himself and he had to withstand the urge to keep the other in his line of vision. Taehyung thought that the other had to be around his age and technically that meant the other had likely had no part in the hideous crime against his father, but he was still a part of the Jeon pack. Birds of a feather, flock together.

“Will you not look at me?” Namjoon’s voice was soft but the omega heard the impatience all the same. Taehyung ignored him but he could feel his shoulders tensing against his will and the shift in posture did not go unnoticed by the other wolf.

“I brought you a change of clothes, you must be itching to get out of your dirty ones. You have barely eaten anything these last few days, we are worried about you as your body is still recovering from your first and second shift.”

Taehyung ignored him although he finally had confirmation that he had indeed shifted a second time that night. Good, he hoped that he had made them bleed if only just a little bit.

Taehyung flinched at his own vile thoughts, what was happening to him? Was it the wolf inside him? No, his omega was as peaceful a wolf as possible and his anger was misdirected. Namjoon was not the one at fault here and rationally thinking the sweet looking omega had been nothing but kind to him.

“… Thank you, Namjoon. That is very kind of you.”

His words seemed to shock the other and Namjoon gaped at the small redhead. Taehyung stood up slowly, warily, ignoring the pain in his muscles and extended his hands for the change of clothes that smelled wonderfully like a mix of pine and laundry.

“These are Jeongguk’s, his smell was the only smell your wolf reacted somewhat positively to, but I washed them so that the scent isn’t as overpowering as it normally would have been. Oh, and you needn’t worry about your mother. We informed her of your stay here and the circumstances and she agreed that it was for the best to put you under our care and protection.”

Taehyung’s eyes widened. His mother had willingly handed him over to the Jeons? Taehyung had always suspected his mother knew more about his father and the pack’s involvement than she let on, didn’t she know that the pack ruined their family? Her life more than anyone else’s?

“What?” Taehyung wondered if there was an end to the waves of anger and negative emotions he had experienced over the last week.

At once, Namjoon realized his mistake and hurried to correct himself.

“No, no, it’s not like that. She threw a fit and if looks could kill, Yoongi would be a pile of ash but Taehyung you have to understand, you are dangerous right now, you’re a danger to society and to yourself as of now. You are not in control of your instincts, of the wolf inside you that has grown stronger with your _first skin.”_

Taehyung supposed that made sense, he certainly felt out of control. His nerves laid bare all the time and he felt like he was one second away from blowing up in insane emotions.

“So what happens now?”

And for the first time, something akin to a smirk appeared on the omega’s usually so sweet face and Taehyung shivered when the other’s expression turned wolfish, mirth and dark interest like lightning in his eyes.

“We’ll train you.”

Taehyung refused to back down to the obvious challenge and squared his shoulders in preparation for the coming.

“And who is "we"?”

Now, Namjoon was outright grinning and it set Taehyung off balance.

“Oh, you should be very honored. You’ll be trained by our prime alpha, the golden wolf, Jeon Jeongguk.”


	6. Part Six: A Golden Wolf

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jeon Jeongguk, the golden wolf, was not golden, not in the way that Taehyung had expected him to be.
> 
> No, the alpha took the form of a stunning light grey wolf with a white cheek and a white chest. His fur looked soft and well-cared for, shining with a beautiful bushy tail. To the omega’s immense amusement and surprise, he appeared almost soft for lack of a better word. He was huge, monstrous even, almost double Taehyung’s size. So tall even that he easily reached up to Taehyung’s shoulders while in human form. His teeth and claws were razor sharp and the omega berated himself, he should know better than to be fooled by the other’s soft appearance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello my dudes
> 
> previously on season 3 episode 4 of my bullshit... No, I am sorry about the late update :( I won't put my business on the internet and whine about how hard my life is and how uni has kept me sleepy, overworked and caffeine-addicted and how it wasn't my fault that I couldn't update sooner (except for: that's exactly what I'm saying)... I'll just mind my own business and thank you all for the amazing comments and all the beautiful, positive feedback I've been getting <3 Y'all amazing!
> 
> Cheers

Training with the few other young wolves under the attentive, unreadable eyes of none other than Jeon Jeongguk was nothing like Taehyung had imagined. It was a lot more of just getting used to his _first skin_ , a lot of hunting and spending hours upon hours exploring the beautiful woods of the preserve.

Jeongguk never shifted, leading them deep into the dense forest on quick bare feet, standing guard while his apprentices took on their _first skin_. Every time his eyes lingered on the omega and it frustrated Taehyung to no end that he could not read the other’s intentions and every day he was torn between disappointment and anger after the alpha’s intense gaze focused on something else.

He kept to himself mostly. Keeping his thoughts hidden from the other wolves appeared to be easier than expected as he was not part of the Jeon pack. The others could not quite read him as he had learned was possible for wolves of a pack.

It was jarring to see for himself just how in tune the others were with their _first skin_ , in comparison to them he all but stumbled through the forest. They moved elegantly, coiled strength but paws on the ground as light as feathers. Their snarls send chills down his spine and he avoided their glowing eyes filled with curiosity and apprehension that seemed like bloodlust in the dark of the night. He was the only omega of the bunch. Jeongguk’s little sister Hyejin was a beautiful wolf, the colour of her fur a warm brown mirroring her tan skin and despite her young age, Taehyung could detect the first hints of _alpha_ in her scent _._ She was the bravest, always leading two smaller wolves, one black with a white chest and white paws and one black with only a hint of white at the top of her pointed ears. The sisters Yongsun and Wheein were much shyer and usually kept close to the Jeon siblings, leaving Taehyung to run for himself but their eyes often strayed to him.

In the evenings, he sat with Hoseok or Namjoon, growing less scared with each passing day but still reluctant to open his heart to them out of fear to be hurt again. In the gentle glow of the candlelight, they told him stories about what happened beyond the borders of their small town. He learned that the sisters he ran with every day were orphans; born wolves who the Jeons had taken in when their chance of survival as lone wolves was next to none.

Against his will, Taehyung’s heart softened, and he began to accept the younger wolves’ shy offers of companionship if not friendship and started to enjoy his runs with them. His heart grew fond of their innocence and hope for better days. It was a strange experience and before he knew it, he had started smiling again even if the smiles were rare and lined with grief.

He often thought about his mother and Jimin and he had been allowed to write them letters which Yoongi, Jeongguk’s older brother was tasked to deliver. They never talked but Yoongi did not seem to talk much in general and before Taehyung knew it they had grown rather accepting of each other’s presence. Taehyung knew he could not fault the alpha for his behaviour on the day he first woke in this house and neither could he fault the child for the father’s mistakes, but he could not shake off his wariness all the same.

There was a wildness about him, a savagery dare he say, a shadow to the man’s eyes that was present in all the Jeon children, even in young Hyejin which scared him for reasons he would not fully understand until the day Namjoon let something slip that would set everything in motion.

∞

 

Early in the morning, when the sun had just barely risen beyond the horizon, Taehyung found himself in the garden. Sleep had not come to him this night as his mind was filled to the brim with what Namjoon had told him about the young Jeon wolves last night. He shivered a little bit in the crisp morning air and wound his arms tighter around his middle. He had not bothered to change out of the white shirt and shorts he had been given to sleep in on his first day at the Jeons and the moist grass tickled at his bare feet.

The garden was one of Taehyung’s favourite spots. The enchanting garden was a place with a soul, where time stood still. Rows upon rows of flowers, trees, rose bushes as tall as Taehyung and other plants spreading their wonderful scent. Taehyung would always go the squeaking swing by the old pond which was hidden from view when he could not bear the presence of the other wolves. Now in the early morning, the sight of the sandstone cliffs which the river burrowed into down in the valley looked strangely haunting from the small trail between the flowerbeds and Taehyung’s felt a chill when he could only see blurred shapes where the riverbanks should be in the mist of the morning despite the glow of the gentle morning sun.

He had paused to admire the view of the hillside when he saw the wolf standing at the forested mountain slope. Taehyung did not know how but at once he realised just who he was facing.

Jeon Jeongguk, the golden wolf, was not golden, not in the way that Taehyung had expected him to be.

No, the alpha took the form of a stunning light grey wolf with a white cheek and a white chest. His fur looked soft and well-cared for, shining with a beautiful bushy tail. To the omega’s immense amusement and surprise, he appeared almost _soft_ for lack of a better word. He was huge, monstrous even, almost double Taehyung’s size. So tall even that he easily reached up to Taehyung’s shoulders while in human form. His teeth and claws were razor sharp and the omega berated himself, he should know better than to be fooled by the other’s soft appearance.

His eyes were easily the stunning alpha’s most beautiful feature. A pair of intelligent, attentive eyes the colour of amber, of honey and, yes, of _gold_. Enchanting even in the soft glow of this dawn, the young wolf seemed to deserve his name, after all. A golden wolf, truly.

Taehyung had never heard of a wolf with golden eyes and while he watched the other across the Jeon’s beautiful backyard a shiver ran down his spine. He felt that the other’s presence was distinctively familiar as if his omega recognized the other, knew the other in some way. It was a strange thing to experience, like an instinct almost but not quite. He had experienced it in school sometimes but not quite this intense and had always put it off as his wolf’s obsession with the alpha. Even if it physically hurt the omega to admit it, Jeon Jeongguk was everything his omega wanted in an alpha, strength and domination, protection and warmth wrapped into one being.

Though not out of fear but for some other inexplicable reason, Taehyung could not bring himself to move closer to the alpha. So, he stood frozen and stiff while the wolf took small, measured steps towards him when he noticed Taehyung’s hesitance. His huge paws silent and soft, his muscles were tense with raw, coiled power even though he seemed to be trying to appear as non-threatening as he possibly could.

His efforts should be in vain: a wolf of this size and strength would always be a threat no matter how much he tried to look like a sheep. Yet, Taehyung knew he was in no danger. The small omega could not begin to guess why but he felt _safe._ Comforted, like he was back at home in front of their house’s small fireplace cuddled into one of their few soft blankets.

A bout of sharp pain and homesickness made him wince and the wolf let out a huff at the movement as if he felt the pain himself, his ears low and flat to the side for a moment as he continued his measured steps.

Taehyung concentrated on him and the somewhat cross expression disappeared from the wolf’s eyes and what the omega saw next stole his breath away. It was about the last thing he expected and the implications of what he saw floored him.

Jeongguk’s eyes were _gentle,_ the supposedly cruel alpha’s eyes were open and kind, their warm colour washing over Taehyung in waves of safety and protection and _pack._

 _Pack_.

Taehyung shook his head against the onslaught of impressions. No, that could not be. Jeongguk was cruel, an alpha, a predator. He was not gentle. He was not what his instinct, his wolf believed him to be. A protector, no, _his protector_.

Yet, he felt it clearly. He heard Jeongguk’s intentions as clear as if he had spoken them out loud and against all odds, as it always seemed to be with the handsome alpha, it felt as natural as breathing.

Taehyung thought back to what Namjoon had told him late into the night, what had kept him up and ruined all chances at rest. He thought back to the night he had woken up and learned about his father’s fate and how the black-haired alpha looked at him like he was seeing him for the first time like he could not quite believe what he was seeing.

Taehyung thought back to all the times he had thought about the other’s smell, how his wolf was obsessed with the other’s everything and wondered how all of this could be. Had the other not seen him in school? Had he not purposefully ruined Taehyung’s life by subjecting him to the bullying of his canine followers? Taehyung felt as if he was slowly going mad, so many things had changed within the last few days and his mind was struggling to catch up and to accept all the things he would have never believed to be true.

Jeongguk had stopped a good meter away from him and Taehyung was pulled out of his thoughts by the feeling of warm breath on his skin, he shuddered and Jeongguk’s eyes followed the movement, his ears twitching. Taehyung decided that Jeongguk looked like a grey wolf, like cold winter and perseverance and he wanted so badly to just touch him once.

Jeongguk, as if he had heard what the small omega himself did not really understand, bowed his head. An invitation if Taehyung had ever seen one and slowly, cautiously, oh so cautiously, he took a step forward and reached out to lay his hand on top of the alpha’s head.

When the cold skin of his hand made contact with the other’s fur, a flash of soothing heat went through his arm up to his chest where it expanded and Taehyung closed his eyes against the feeling, savouring it. He had been so terribly cold inside the last few days.

The alpha’s fur was as soft as Taehyung had imagined and the other radiated warmth. Suddenly, the world was tinted in hues of gold and Taehyung’s pink lips left a gasp of wonder at the sight. He knew he was seeing through the other’s eyes, how that was possible was beyond him, but he had never felt such happiness. He did not notice how the world blurred around the petals of the flower a few yards away that he was watching, how his point of view shift as if he had knelt. It felt like he was submerged in hot water and all his tense muscles relaxed and when Taehyung managed to focus on another matter, he recognized at once that he had shifted into his _first skin_ and that it had not hurt at all. The opposite really, he felt energetic and _alive_ like he had never, and he yipped in excitement at the feeling of earth under his paws.

He closed his eyes when he felt the wind ruffle the red fur on his chest and took a deep breath. He smelled flowers, flowing water them and he smelled pine needles and wood after a rain shower in spring.

He opened his eyes to the sight of Jeongguk’s broad chest and startled so hard at how close they were that he jumped a few centimeters into the air. Barely withstanding the urge to cover instinctively, Taehyung could not bear to look up as Jeongguk’s wolf towered over his much smaller red form and the alpha huffed at the omega’s reaction as if he was amused. With his instinct now having more power over the omega, Jeongguk seemed even more domineering to Taehyung but his eyes were still gentle, watching him with something akin to wonder like he could not believe what he was seeing.

And if one could trust Namjoon's words, that could actually be a lot closer to the truth than Taehyung was comfortable with as it changed everything he had ever known about the young alpha in front of him.


End file.
